Twelfth Night
by Melpomene Lee
Summary: Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great; some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.  Shakespeare Quick drabbles for each line of the quote. Various characters
1. Be Not Afraid

**Disclaimer: The characters and situations are not mine. I'm just providing another point of view of them.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Be Not Afraid

_~Be not afraid of greatness,~_

_Edmund_

He had spent the last three years of his life forcing himself to never show fear. Not to the bullies at school; not during the air raids back home, and certainly not when it looked like he was facing death at the hands of the Witch. That part of his life was past him, though, and a new chapter was just beginning. One that named him no more as Edmund the Traitor, but _King _Edmund the Just. His hands trembled as he straightened his crown. Fear of wickedness was natural. Was it alright to feel afraid of something good?

_Caspian _

The blood in his veins was that of invaders and conquerors. Cold, cruel, calculating, and merciless, his ancestors had been to the people of this land. By force, they had assumed the rights to the throne of Narnia. It had made them powerful, he had been taught, but it had not made them great. Where greatness really came from, he still wasn't sure, though he knew enough that the size of one's kingdom did not follow the same measurements. The Crown of Narnia, previously stolen by his uncle, had been returned. Now, though, was he worthy of wearing it?

_Cor_

He had never dreamed he would one day live the life of an Archenland Royal. Raised in the hut of a poor Calormene fisherman, his hopes and dreams were merely limited to seeing the ever-evasive North. Now that he had accomplished that, he was scared stiff of what was facing him. He was the first-born son of King Lune; that put him first in line for the throne that his brother had never wanted. _I don't want it, either,_ he wanted to cry. _I've never been anyone special!_ But he was, now, the warm breath of air reminded him.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello, all! First story up in over six months, and I'm a little unsure of it. Parts of it I love, other parts less so, so let me know what you think! The whole will probably be up sooner on my livejournal, if you want to check it out there, and commentaries for each chapter should follow soon after that. There are three more chapters all typed up, so I will post them as soon as I can! **

**Cheers!**

**~Melpomene**


	2. Some are Born

**Disclaimer: They aren't mine.**

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><p>Twelfth Night, Chapter 2<p>

Chapter 2

Some are Born

_~Some are born great,~_

_Caspian _

How does one learn to be great as a ruler, when the only example one has had is that of a cruel dictator? How does one not fall into the same footsteps as those who have gone before him; keeping an entire country fearful and oppressed? Was it even possible to achieve greatness when one is under the scrutiny of those who terrify him? When does one realize that true greatness doesn't come from what you do, but who and Whose you are? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? He chose to believe that one could.

_Rillian_

"_I'm not who I used to be," _he had whispered tearfully to his father. _"How am I supposed to rule them?"_ His hand had been clasped by one that was wrinkled and trembling, but the voice it belonged to was still strong. _"Remember who are. You are my son, and the one true King of Narnia." _He had nodded, the first drops of saltwater spilling onto his cheeks as his father raised a hand to bless him a final time. It fell almost immediately after it brushed his forehead, but the wind still seemed to murmur _"Remember. Remember. Remember…"_

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><p><strong>AN: Yes, it really is that short. I had originally planned for each chapter to have five character drabbles in it, but then I couldn't find five characters that I could fit with the theme of each chapter, and when I did find them, I didn't like the drabbles I wrote for them, so the last three chapters of this story have been shortened considerably. I think this one is my personal favorite out of the four, so I hope the rest of you enjoy it, too! **

**Cookies to anyone who can tell me what the C.S. Lewis quote is!**

**~Melpomene**


	3. Some Achieve

**Disclaimer: They aren't mine! Jack's just letting me borrow them for a bit. **

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Some Achieve

_~Some achieve greatness,~_

_Reepicheep_

He had always known that his destiny would be one of renown. Of honor, of valor, of bravery. From the time he was no more than a pup, he had had the spirit of adventure flowing through his veins. Slender twigs could function as makeshift swords, and scampering through books on battles and strategy would strengthen his brain, but Reepicheep had been born with the desire to do more than just fight. His greatest wish was to attain the unattainable; see the Country of the Lion whose breath brought Narnia forth with his own eyes. And so he would.

_Peter_

High King Peter, the Magnificent. His full title was much longer, but that little bit was all anyone ever remembered. Especially since he was no longer there to remind them if they asked. The tetrarchs of the Golden Age had long since disappeared, and without them, Narnia had fallen into the hands of Telmarine invaders. The Talking Beasts and nature spirits had receded to the deepest parts of Narnia, now, most without hope of ever being free again. A few, though, still whispered stories to their children. Of a young King who saved Narnia from giants, and titled 'Magnificent.'

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you to all who have previously reviewed this! It means a lot to me! I'm a little less sure about this chapter, so please let me know what you think! Last chapter goes up tomorrow. I hope you enjoy that one, too! **

**~Melpomene**


	4. Some Spontaneously Receive

**Dis-Actually, I think you get it by now. **

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Some Spontaneously Receive

_~And some have greatness thrust upon them~_

_Eustace_

Falling through a painting and into an ocean. _"That's what happens when you read all of those fanciful fairy tales."_ Traveling on a strange ship with strange creatures to unknown islands. _"There are no wars to fight; why are we here?"_ Trying to impress everyone around you with how much you know. _"There once was a boy called Eustace, who read books on facts that were useless."_ Turning into a dragon to realize that you _can_ become a better person. _"Extraordinary things only happen to extraordinary people."_ Saving the world from verdant evil. _"We have nothing if not belief."_

_Edmund_

He had never seen himself as truly brave. Picking on smaller children wasn't bravery, and he had always known that, deep down. Before today, he had never carried a sword. Never worn armor. Never dreamed he would find himself on the battlefield, watching helplessly as his side was being literally turned to stone. _They can't do us any good if they can't move!_ Retreat would do nothing, he realized, if they had no army to regroup. The Wand. _Her _Wand. _Destroy it, Son of Adam, _the wind seemed to whisper. No time now, to wonder if he was brave…

_fin_

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, this is the last chapter of Twelfth Night. I'm not sure of how much I liked Edmund's part in it, but I'll let you readers be the judge of that. Thank you very much to those of you who read this, added it to favorites and alerts, and reviewed. It means the world to me, really! Hopefully I'll have more stories for you, soon! **

**~Melpomene**


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